First, i'd encourage everyone to question the practice of sex-segregating bathrooms in the first place. Culturally, multi-stall restrooms have to be for “men” or “women” only. But why? You'll find the answer in this Time Magazine article.
Somehow, pretty much all of us manage to survive just fine using a bathroom with other genders at home. Locking stalls or single-occupancy bathrooms for everyone!
More concretely, for very small practices, one bathroom for everyone is fine. Or maybe you have two, each in different parts of your office. In that case, too, they do not need to be sex-segregated.
If your office is part of a larger building with shared bathrooms, be sure you know the law in your state and local jurisdiction around public accommodations for trans folx, which should include bathrooms. The Movement Advancement Project has a helpful map on bathroom bans affecting trans folx.
- Make sure your patients/clients know which bathroom(s) on your floor they can legally use.
- If there are neighboring buildings with gender-neutral bathrooms available without purchasing something, make sure your patients know where these are.
- Note, too, that those patients/clients who can “pass” as their gender identity may not have an issue using their preferred bathroom. No need to make it a problem if it doesn't have to be.
- If you know all the other tenants on your floor, you may be able to make an agreement with them on bathroom use for your patients/clients. This would only be needed in situations where trans folx are legally barred from using their preferred bathroom. Keep in mind, of course, that folx may therefore be breaking the law.
- In short, there's not a perfect solution in situations like this in our current political and cultural context. 😢 Your goal is to make things as easy and comfortable for TGNC folx as possible.
Hot topic: Bathrooms (and locker rooms)
Hot topic: Bathrooms (and locker rooms)
